International
Ukraine exposes Russia’s weakness at the border with the support of the West
The Russian army has mobilized all its heavy artillery and aviation to expel the Ukrainian troops that penetrated its territory three days ago, showing its defensive weakness at the border in the face of an operation that has received the support of the West.
“The attempts of some (Ukrainian) units to go deep into (Russian) territory in the Kursk sector have been rejected,” the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged today in a statement.
The head of the Russian General Staff, Valeri Guerásimov, promised “the crushing defeat of the enemy,” but it is still far from coming, which has sparked alarmism on social networks and among the opposition, which blames the president, Vladimir Putin, for his “bloody adventure” in Ukraine.
Ukraine has not officially claimed the biggest incursion since the beginning of the war in February 2022, but Kiev insinuated on Thursday that there is no better way to force the Kremlin to negotiate peace than to hit it where it hurts the most.
Both Defense and the regional authorities admitted that the fighting continues for the third consecutive day in the districts of Sudzha and Kórenevo, which are several kilometers from the border.
The Kursk Government assured Channel One on Thursday that “the enemy has not advanced a meter, on the contrary, it is withdrawing,” but the military parties and bloggers close to the Kremlin deny it.
The latter insist that the enemy has taken control of a border post, where they took several dozen Russian soldiers prisoners – including young recruits – and continues to advance by road to other towns in the area, at a depth of ten kilometers.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which cites Russian sources, Ukrainians would control 45 square kilometers, an area that would include more than a dozen localities.
The Ukrainians also took the Sudzha gas meter, the tank that measures the flow of gas circulating through Ukrainian territory destined for European customers, although the Gazprom consortium reported today that it continues to pump that fuel through Ukraine.
Bloggers have also charged for the first time the inks against the new Minister of Defense, Andrei Belousov, whom they accuse of neglecting the protection of the border, when the concentration of enemy troops a few kilometers from Russian territory was known, and they urg him to punish incompetent officers.
The Russian Army today resorted to the Su-34 fighter-bombers to strike in Kursk, the scene of the largest tank battle of World War II, the positions of the Ukrainian units that crossed the common border.
According to Defense, the Su-34s used FAB-500 aerial bombs, which Moscow usually uses to hammer Ukrainian territory, to launch “precise attacks from a safe distance” from the combat zone.
For its part, the Séver group (North) attacked the positions of six enemy mechanized brigades in Kursk, but also in the neighboring regions of Kharkov and Sumi, where Kiev would have suffered 415 casualties, in addition to the destruction of four tanks, about thirty armored vehicles and military vehicles.
In an attempt to stop the panic – five civilians have died and another thirty were injured – Putin interrupted his vacation to hold a videoconference meeting today with the acting governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, who declared a state of emergency the day before.
The Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mikhail Podoliak, subtly admitted Kiev’s role in the incursion by recognizing its “effectiveness” and ensuring that Russia will only agree to negotiate peace “if it understands that the losses in this war are unimaginable and that the price of war is already unacceptable.”
“In view of the second summit of peace, in order for her (Russia) to get there, behave more or less appropriately (…) and not act with arrogance, which is typical of Russian foreign policy, it is necessary that the instruments of coercion work,” he said.
He added: “Today they have a war that gradually deepens in the Russian Federation. Will it scare them? Yes. Do they react to something other than fear? No,” he said.
In this regard, the European Commission defended on Thursday that, “according to international law, Ukraine has the right to defend itself and that includes hitting the enemy in its territory.”
“Within the framework of this legitimate right to defend itself, Ukraine is empowered to hit its enemy where it deems necessary in its territory, but also in the territory of the enemy,” said Peter Stano, spokesman for the head of community diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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